‘No religious freedom problem’ for Eritrean Muslims

ASMARA, Nov 5 (AFP) — The leader of Muslims in Eritrea has said there is religious freedom in his country, contrary to a US State Department report that named Eritrea, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam as “countries of particular concern” in its annual report on religious freedom.

“There is no religious freedom problem in Eritrea,” Mufti Alamin Osman Alamin told AFP on Thursday in an interview, when asked to comment on the report’s criticism of Eritrea.

The US report, released in September, listed Eritrea for detaining and imposing restrictions on sanctioned religious groups.

“We have a friendly relationship with the three other (authorised) religions in Eritrea,” namely Orthodox, Catholic and Eritrean Evangelical Church, added Alamin.

“We (religious groups) fought together for thirty years,” when Eritrea fought a deadly independence war against Ethiopia from 1961 to 1991, Alamin stressed.

Apart from the four religious groups, others have to register with authorities in Asmara in order to exist and carry out activities in the tiny African nation, according to a government decree issued in May 2002.

“Our relationship with the Eritrean government is good,” added the leader.

About 50 percent of Eritrea’s four million people are Muslims, according to Eritrean authorities.